Nikki Sanders (Earth-H)
History Nikki was born as the second of three daughters to Hal Sanders and Kelly Sullivan. The relationship between Nikki's parents was deeply unstable, to the point that Kelly left Hal just two months after the birth of their youngest child. She left her daughters behind, leaving them at the mercy of their alcoholic and violent father. Nikki's only real protector was her older sister, Jessica. Jessica would intentionally take the full force of Hal's rage so Nikki and their baby sister Tracy wouldn't have to. Jessica and Nikki would take of care Tracy when their father couldn't or wouldn't. Nikki adored Jessica, following her every move. She also drilled something into Nikki's head she would never forget. "You get decided who is and isn't family. If they are your family, fight for them till the end. If they aren't, they don't mean anything to you." One day, Hal and Jessica got into a fight and the young girl pushed down the stairs by her father. Jessica died of a broken neck, with Nikki cradling her dead body, desperately begging her to wake up. CPS was no longer able to ignore the abuse the Sanders girls suffered at the hands of their father. Hal was arrested for manslaughter and the surviving girls were put into foster care. Tracy, who was only three at the time, was quickly adopted. Nikki wasn't as unlucky. Stuck in an unfamiliar home, without her beloved sisters, she nearly lost herself to despair. Then, Jessica's words rang through her head. Jessica survived so much, surely Nikki could do the same. She just had to be like Jessica. Nikki began tougher, colder, refusing to let anything phase her. Her problems with authority and had a short temper, which often got her into trouble. This came to head when another student made a joke wishing Nikki had a sister that less high-stress. In response, Nikki beat the kid so bad he had to go to the hospital. Nikki was sent to Juvie for two months. When she was released, Nikki decided to live on her own at the tender age of sixteen. She lived as a petty criminal, barely getting by. However, she was going to move up in the criminal world, due to a very special gift she didn't know she had. Rough Night Nikki ended living in an abandoned house with other teenage runaways. Going by "Jessica" now, Nikki tried to keep her distance from others but, she couldn't help feeling protective over a girl who was even younger than Nikki. Perhaps she remained Nikki of Tracy, the little sister she hadn't seen in years. Maybe Nikki even saw a bit of herself in the girl. Either way, Nikki kept an eye on her, even trying to keep the girl off drugs. Still, it wasn't enough. After committing some shoplifting, Nikki returned to the house and found nearly all of the roommates gathered around a door. They told her that the girl had OD but, was locked in. Nikki tried to open the door. She could the girl dying, just like Jessica. And like before, Nikki could do nothing. Nikki began panicking and started pounding on the door as hard she could. To her surprise, the door came crashing down. They were able to call the ambulance for the girl, with Nikki carrying her down to it with strength she didn't know she had. Nikki began to experiment with her powers more and discovered she lift as much a large car. Nikki, an eighteen-year-old runaway, saw this as a great advantage. She used her strength to perform breaking-and-entering, simply breaking a door off the hinges. Nikki did fairly well for herself but, eventually rumors spread about the super-strong blonde. Nikki went from city to city, town to town, never staying long for anyone to truly see her. Or so she thought. While in Las Vegas, Nikki was approached by two people who claimed to work for a mob boss. They said they knew about her "gift" and wanted to see if she wanted a job. Nikki tried to blow them off before the woman produced an illusion. The woman said that Linderman liked having "gifted" employees and was always looking for more. Working Girl Nikki began working as a personal bodyguard and enforcer to Daniel Linderman. Nikki was a literal leg-breaker for Linderman, punishing those who couldn't or wouldn't pay Linderman's "loans". While Nikki didn't enjoy violence, she did like how well she paid. Nikki became Linderman's shadow, even saving his life from a hitman on one occasion. Nikki, better known as Jessica, became a feared member of Linderman's group. It was her job as Linderman's bodyguard that lead her to meet DL Hawkins. DL, who was gifted with the power to phase through solid objects, was a thief who often "found" money or blackmail material from Linderman's enemies. Nikki was present at DL and Linderman's various meeting and found the good-looking thief charming. When DL began to flirt with Nikki, she began flirting back. Soon, the two entered a sexual relationship. While Nikki wasn't looking for a romantic relationship, she found herself falling for the gentle and funny DL. She frightened of getting hurt, she abruptly ended things with DL. Nikki told herself it was for the best. Nikki continued working as an enforcer but, grew more tired of hurting people to survive. However, she felt this was the only way she could live comfortably and that she should suck up her feelings. Nikki thought she had no real reason to leave Linderman. Until she discovered she was pregnant. Nikki panicked upon learning she was going to be a mother. She considered having an abortion but, realized she did truly want a child. Nikki had longed to have a family again and now she going to get one. Still, Nikki knew it would be unfair to her child to have a criminal as a mother, constantly in danger from other criminals or being jailed. Nikki was going to leave her old life behind, something that both excited and terrified her. Going Straight Nikki expected Linderman to be furious when she announced she was quitting. To her shock, he just wished her and her child the best and said she would always be welcomed back. While Nikki was relieved, she was still worried, mainly because he had somehow known she was pregnant without her telling him. Without a job, Nikki managed to get a gig as a blackjack dealer at a casino. She often thought about telling DL about the baby but, thoughtt he wouldn't want to deal with her or their child. Nikki didn't think she could handle the rejection. Besides, Nikki didn't want any negative influences in her child's life. She was going to give them all the love, comfort and protection she never received. After nine months of preparing and barely getting by, Nikki went into labor. She eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy. She named the boy Micah and loved with all her heart the moment she saw him. She made a promise that she would let nothing ever hurt him. Nikki lived as a single mother for three months. It was difficult but, having Micah made it worth. One day, an old friend came to Nikki's door. It was DL. He had learned that Nikki had given birth and had pieced together that he was likely the father. Nikki admitted that yes, he was the father of her child. DL expressed to her that he wanted to go straight too and wanted to be there for his son. Nikki made the decision to trust him and allowed him to move in. For the next ten years, Nikki's life greatly improved. She got a steady job as a blackjack dealer while DL worked for a construction company. She and DL rekindled their romance, which made them both very happy. As Micah grew older, it became clear that he was a natural genius. While his parents were proud of him, it was obvious that regular just wasn't working for Micah. His parents found a school for gifted children near them but, the tuition was very high. Nikki decided to work as a cam-girl to raise money for the family. With the combined income of Nikki and DL, they were able to send Micah to the school. While life was still hard, Nikki had never been happier. She had a sweet son, a loving and supportive boyfriend, and a steady job. Nikki finally felt she was safe. Then, it all fell apart. All Fall Down The company that DL worked for suddenly closed down, leaving him without a job. As an ex-con, DL found it hard to get any other employment. As they were already barely making it by, it was a crushing blow to the family's finances. The family was close to losing their home. When Nikki said she was considering pulling Micah out of his school, DL revealed he had contacted to steal something. The payout would be enough to keep the family's lifestyle for at least the next couple of years. Nikki begged DL not to do but, he insisted that would be able to pull off. Unfortunately, that was not to be. The heist went terribly wrong, with DL being the sole survivor of his crew. The police arrested him for the murders of the other men. DL escaped using his powers and contacted Nikki. He claimed that he was innocent of the murders and said that he going the run. Nikki agreed, knowing it was best for Micah. Still, she devasted. DL was the only person she had beside Micah. Not only that but, now she was drowning in debt with no one to help her. Nikki felt she had no other choice but, to ask Linderman for work. Linderman was very happy to hear from Nikki as he had a job that he thought she would do very well at... Genesis Powers '''Super-Strength-'''Nikki has the ability of enhanced strength, naturally stronger than an average human. The top weight Nikki has been able to lift is one ton.Category:Created by MaysileeAurlis Category:Earth-H Characters Category:Evolved Humans Category:Super Strength Category:Antiheroes